I sometimes use some personality traits to fashion part of a character. Most of my characters are composites of either people I know or people in the public eye.
G.I. humor is similar to cop humor.
We're all pilgrims on the same journey but some pilgrims have better road maps.
It's really scary when you have a moment of temporary sanity.
A lot of our perception of history is influenced by inaccurate movies.
There are Mafia families that have bought magnificent houses on the North Shore, although not yet the great estates because they don't want that kind of high profile.